Mel's Draft Needs-ESPN
JTW91
By Mel Kiper
ESPN.com
At this point in the free-agent signing process, the look of some teams --
and their corresponding needs in the upcoming draft -- have changed
dramatically. What teams have done, or not done, will affect the selections
they make.
Some teams are still looking to deal, and that would change their outlook
even further. But as things stand today, this is what the AFC squads need
most heading into April's draft.
I'll examine who needs what in the NFC in my next report.
AFC EAST
Miami Dolphins
Offensive Tackle -- Starting LT Richmond Webb is a free agent, and the
Dolphins appear to be in no rush to re-sign him. Looking to fill that void
is fifth-year pro Brent Smith. Should he fail to impress, they could move
Mark Dixon over from LG. An insurance policy is definitely needed.
Outside Linebacker -- The Dolphins are very happy to have weakside LB
Derrick Rodgers back in the fold. With Robert Jones becoming a cap casualty,
the next order of business is to find a starter on the strongside.
Running Back -- With Thurman Thomas no longer in the picture, the Dolphins
are without a quality third-down back. And should Lamar Smith go down with
an injury, J.J. Johnson has given no indication that he can be a viable
replacement.
Indianapolis Colts
Defensive Tackle -- They can live with DE Chad Bratzke and DT Ellis Johnson
on the right side. But on the left side, there's definite cause for concern
at both spots. Of the two, I think their focus will be more inside. The
return of Shawn King (he missed the entire 2000 season due to a
league-imposed suspension) gives them some reason for optimism at left DE.
Cornerback -- While Jeff Burris is a decent veteran performer, I wouldn't
consider him to be a top-flight cover corner. At the other starting spot,
you have Mustafah Muhammad and David Macklin. I wouldn't feel comfortable
with either as a No. 2 cornerback.
New York Jets
Wide Receiver -- With Keyshawn Johnson no longer in the picture, the Jets
really missed having a big, physical wide-out to work opposite Wayne
Chrebet. The Jets hope they addressed this need on Monday when they signed
ex-Vikings receiver Matthew Hatchette to a two-year contract.
Defensive Line -- What we know at this point is John Abraham will start at
DE and Jason Ferguson at DT. Shaun Ellis also will be in the starting
lineup. The unknown is whether that will be at end or tackle. A large part
of this will be determined by what transpires in the draft.
Buffalo Bills
Offensive Line -- Both starters on the right side (RG Jamie Nails and RT
Marcus Spriggs) are free agents. The latter is the better of the two, but
the Bills can do better at both positions.
Cornerback -- Antoine Winfield holds his own on one side, but Ken Irvin is
best suited to be a backup. And speaking of backups, when the only one of
consequence is former Bronco Chris Watson, you have major problems.
Defensive Line -- Suffered two major blows in the offseason with the release
of Pro Bowl NT Ted Washington due to the salary cap, and free agent DE
Marcellus Wiley being lured away by San Diego. The replacements at those
respective positions will be Pat Williams and last year's first-round pick,
Erik Flowers. Reinforcements are definitely needed.
New England Patriots
Running Back -- Since losing Robert Edwards to a serious knee injury, the
Patriots have struggled to find a capable replacement. In the past two
drafts, they've used a second- and third-round pick on Kevin Faulk and J.R.
Redmond, respectively. Both are better all-purpose types than they are
feature backs. Maybe the third time will be the charm.
Defensive Tackle -- The Patriots don't have any of consequence. Chad Eaton
has signed with Seattle, Henry Thomas has been released and Brandon
Mitchell, who did little to impress last season, is a free agent.
Offensive Line -- As a whole, this unit performed woefully in 2000. The
biggest concern is left tackle. If the season were to begin today, the
starter likely would be last year's second-round pick, Adrian Klemm. After
suffering a knee injury in training camp, his rookie year was a washout. And
now he's going to be asked to protect the blind side of Drew Bledsoe?
Needless to say, this is a very risky proposition.
AFC CENTRAL
Baltimore Ravens
Offensive Guard -- If Leon Searcy returns to old form, he'll team up with
Jonathan Ogden to give the Ravens the best pair of bookend tackles in the
league. There is concern, however, with the interior of the line. Mike Flynn
is being switched from right guard to center to help compensate for the
free-agent loss of Jeff Mitchell. They have to find his replacement; and on
the left side, Edwin Mulitalo tends to struggle in pass protection.
Outside Linebacker -- There's a possibility that this will go from being the
best LB corps in the NFL to a team need. Starting weakside LB Jamie Sharper
is a free agent, and his top backup, Cornell Brown, also is testing the
market.
Tennessee Titans
Defensive End -- Became a top priority the minute starting right DE Kenny
Holmes signed with the Giants. Without a replacement, the Titans must find
someone who can keep defenses from focusing all their attention on left DE
Jevon Kearse.
Wide Receiver -- Coming off a breakout year (63 receptions for a 14.2-yard
average and five touchdowns), management made sure that free agent Derrick
Mason would be wearing a Titans uniform for the foreseeable future. After
him, however, there are more questions than answers.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive End -- I liked what I saw from second-year left DE Aaron Smith in
his first season as a starter. But there is a hole to fill on the right
side. Kevin Henry has been released, and no one on the current roster does
much to excite. For that matter, neither did Henry.
Inside Linebacker -- Very strong at three of the four positions with Jason
Gildon and Joey Porter outside and Earl Holmes inside. What the Steelers
need to find is a replacement for cap casualty Levon Kirkland.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Offensive Line -- The Jags are set on the left side with LT Tony Boselli and
LG Brad Meester. Free agency and salary-cap problems, however, have taken
their toll on the other three starting spots. As of this writing, John Wade
will anchor the line, with former Ram Zach Wiegert at either guard or
tackle. The other spot is unaccounted for.
Defensive End -- Overall, the front four looks to be in good shape. But
other than right DE Tony Brackens (7.5 sacks), the Jags lack big-play
ability off the edge. The starter on the left side, Renaldo Wynn, is much
more noted for his run-stuffing ability, while pass-rushing specialist Joel
Smeenge (6.0 sacks) has been released.
Cincinnati Bengals
Defensive End -- Projected starters Vaughn Booker and John Copeland are
steady against the run, but non-factors when it comes to generating heat on
the opposing QB. Proof can be found in the fact that they combined for only
one sack this past season.
Offensive Tackle -- One of the teams reported to be in the hunt for former
Viking Todd Steussie. If the Bengals are unsuccessful in their attempts to
sign him, they will have to look long and hard at a LT with the fourth
overall pick in the draft. Thirteen-year veteran John Jackson could turn out
to be the answer for this season, but he's certainly not the answer much
beyond that.
Cornerback -- The past three drafts have seen the Bengals invest three
second-round picks to address this need. Three years into his pro career,
we're still waiting for Artrell Hawkins to prove that he can be a solid
starter. Last year's second-round pick, Mark Roman, is a converted safety.
And '99 second-round pick Charles Fisher is a medical question mark after
spending his first two seasons in the league on the sideline.
Cleveland Browns
Running Back -- To alleviate some pressure from QB Tim Couch, the Browns
must develop a consistent ground game. Leading rusher Travis Prentice gained
just 512 yards, averaging 3.0 yards per carry.
Offensive Line -- The only positions they can feel good about are left
tackle (Roman Oben) and center (Dave Wohlabaugh). If the Browns want to get
better results from their skill positions, they must have more than two guys
who are capable of excelling in the trenches.
Wide Receiver -- Second-year pro Kevin Johnson has the look of a good No. 2
wide-out and JaJuan Dawson and Dennis Northcutt showed promise as rookies.
What the Browns lack is a true feature wide-out.
AFC WEST
Oakland Raiders
Outside Linebacker -- There's no way the Raiders can afford to go into this
upcoming season with Elijah Alexander and Eric Barton as their starters. If
they re-sign William Thomas, part of the problem will be resolved. The next
objective would be to find a younger/better upgrade for Alexander.
Tight End -- The one major concern on offense is who the starter will be at
this position. After failing to develop into the player they envisioned when
he came out of Ohio State, free agent Rickey Dudley is not expected to
return. Jeremy Brigham has been solid in a backup capacity, but you're
asking an awful lot for the same to be said about him as a starter.
Denver Broncos
Defensive End -- After releasing Keith Traylor, the Broncos are willing to
take a chance on former Cowboy DT Leon Lett. The next order of business is
to find a difference-maker at DE. Starters Kavika Pittman and Maa Tanuvasa
combined for just 11.0 sacks.
Cornerback -- The Broncos went a long way toward upgrading this position
when they came to terms with free agent Denard Walker on Monday. The
starters would have been last year's first-round pick, Deltha O'Neal, and
former Charger Jimmy Spencer. O'Neal remains a better returner than cover
corner. Spencer will turn 32 later this month, and has never been ideal
starting material.
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback -- With negotiations between the Chiefs and Rams for the rights
to Trent Green at a standstill, this ongoing saga figures to drag on a
little longer. If things cannot be worked out, for a short-term fix they
could look to someone like Carolina's Steve Beuerlein. It will not come from
this year's draft.
Cornerback -- Other than QB, this is clearly their biggest need. The release
of James Hasty leaves them without a corner capable of shutting down the
opposition's top receiver. Last year's fifth-round pick, Pat Dennis, had his
moments as a rookie, but he's strictly No. 2 material. And it remains to be
seen what William Bartee amounts to.
Running Back -- Tony Richardson averaged a very respectable 4.7 yards per
carry and hauled in 58 receptions. But he's best suited to be their starting
FB/short-yardage threat. Reserves Frank Moreau and Mike Cloud averaged just
2.7 and 2.8 yards per carry, respectively.
Seattle Seahawks
Wide Receiver -- The Seahawks have parted ways with Sean Dawkins and Derrick
Mayes. The former led the team in receptions this past season; the latter
did so in '99. Last year's third-round pick, Darrell Jackson, has a chance
to be a good one. But they need to find a feature wide-out to work opposite
him. Depth is nonexistent.
Cornerback -- With starting right CB Willie Williams becoming a free agent,
the Seahawks are without a proven performer opposite Shawn Springs. Last
year's third-round pick, Ike Charlton, remains very green.
Middle Linebacker -- The Seahawks have improved the interior of the defense
with the signings of DTs John Randle and Chad Eaton. The search is now on
for the ideal candidate to operate behind these two.
San Diego Chargers
Running Back -- Their leading rusher was Terrell Fletcher with 384 yards,
averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Enough said. Everyone is focusing their
attention on the quarterback position, but the Chargers' most pressing need
is right here.
Quarterback -- Addressed their immediate need for a starter by signing
Buffalo's Doug Flutie. He's a good fill-in until the long-term fix is ready
to take over the reins.
Offensive Tackle -- Penciled in as the starter at LT is inexperienced Damion
McIntosh. A third-round pick in last year's draft, he's a converted DT who
will be asked to neutralize the charge of the game's premier pass rushers.
Good luck